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Depending on your point of view, reference checking is either a perfunctory exercise anybody can do or it's an art that requires training, skill and an inquisitive mind. If you see it as the former, you might as well stop reading now. On the other hand, if you recognize that careful reference checking can bring significant value to the hiring exercise, ...

By Kim Isaacs | Monster Contributing Writer Resumes normally get less than a 15-second glance at the first screening. If someone has asked you to review his resume and you want to help him ensure it gets read - or want to know if your own is up to par - be sure you can answer yes to the following questions: ...

It didn't take long for Woodbriar of Wilmington, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Massachusetts, to earn its payback from a healthcare consultant's advice. Woodbriar is a successful organization with a clearly defined mission and culture. But in its industry (healthcare) and specific niches (long-term care and short-term rehabilitation), recruitment is an ongoing challenge. Retention is also an issue. To ...

You're a natural at selling products or services for your employer, so why is it so hard to sell yourself on your resume? Don't worry, because you can turn your drab resume into a powerful sales tool. h4. Start with a High-Impact Sales Pitch Sales resumes need to be results-oriented, emphasizing how you contributed to your employer's bottom line. Start by ...

In today's economy, you need to carefully present your experience to avoid being seen as unstable. Start by evaluating your situation and determining how bad it really is. If you are panicking about two months of unemployment back in 1984, your job search will probably not be affected. However, if you are dealing with recent periods of unemployment extending for months ...

Are your fellow job seekers leaving you in the dust, nabbing the great jobs because they have educational credentials that you lack? Follow these tips to put your best foot forward on your resume and compete with others who have more impressive educational backgrounds. h4. Emphasize Your Strongest Credentials Think about why an employer should hire you out of all the ...

You need a job but aren't sure of your career direction right now, or maybe this tough job market has left you willing to consider just about any position. Remember that while it's great to have an open mind regarding your objective, an unclear objective can pose a problem when developing your resume. The most effective resumes are targeted to a ...

1. Not Using Standard Business-Letter Format The student's cover letter looked more like a cut-and-paste email than a business letter. It had no recipient information, no return address and no date. The letter screamed unprofessional. What's YOUR Cover Letter IQ? Be sure your cover letter uses a standard business letter format. It should include the date, the recipient's mailing address and ...

When a woman we'll call Mary was offered a high-level student-services position at a prestigious college, she was thrilled to accept. But two years later, Mary was fired despite strong performance reviews and a reputation as a rising star at the college. The reason? She lied on her resume - and got caught. An HR initiative requiring employees to furnish college ...

Thad Peterson, Monster Staff Writer While there are as many different possible interview questions as there are interviewers, it always helps to be ready for anything. So we've prepared a list of 100 potential interview questions. Will you face them all? We pray no interviewer would be that cruel. Will you face a few? Probably. Will you be well-served by being ...

Peter Vogt, Monster There's no getting around it: In every job interview, you're going to be judged - at least partially - by how you look. But how you should look varies depending on your industry and the job you're interviewing for. Take a look at general interview attire expectations for eight career areas: h4. General Sales Typically, a suit is ...

Among the tips for this stage of the application process: You don't want to be unprepared or too rehearsed, or be labeled an HR stalker Turning off a potential employer is easier than one might think. To score a job, avoid these 12 mistakes that candidates often make during the interview process. 1. "+Being Unprepared for Standard Questions+":http://saleshq.monster.com/careers/997-twelve-worst-job-interview-mistakes?page=2 2. "+Sounding Too ...

Interviews are hard. You’re nervous. You’re usually in close quarters. You have to answer question after question with little recovery time. And your entire professional future seems to hang in the balance of this one encounter. It’s no wonder so many interviewees resort to clichés when answering interview questions. But panicked responses aren’t going to land you that job. So ...

by Beverly West | Monster Contributing Writer Communicating confidence and reliability is essential to the success of any business. And since administrative assistants are often on the front lines of a company's public image, knowing how to make a good first impression is one of the unspoken but fundamental parts of their jobs. Whether you're interacting with a customer, your boss ...

Do you have a lot of unrelated jobs on your resume? Many job seekers — mostly young professionals and career changers — worry that having dissimilar work experience can hurt potential job prospects. But is having several unrelated jobs on your resume really an issue? According to interviewers and hiring managers, the answer is not really — especially if leaving it ...

Interviews can be pretty intimidating, so it's understandable if you put off prepping for the big day because of nerves. Lucky for you, we've put together a cheat sheet of last-minute interview prep tips, whether your interview is tomorrow afternoon — or two hours from now. Procrastinators, rejoice. You still have a chance at that job! 1. Dress Code Looking the ...

Much has been said about using your network to research companies and find out about available positions. But what about employing your connections to ace the interview? Most people don't see the connection. Networking, so the conventional wisdom goes, can help you get an interview, but its benefit stops there. This narrow view of networking could be holding you back. Your ...

To have a successful job interview, you'll want to appear poised, calm and confident. As CEO of Media Training Worldwide, TJ Walker coaches clients on how to speak to live audiences and the media. Those same skills apply to job interviews, Walker said. "You want to look comfortable and relaxed. You want to be understood and, most importantly, you want your ...

We talk about them all the time: cover letters. We share general tips, explore best practices, and warn of the most common cover letter mistakes. What we haven't done is give you specific examples of real cover letters that worked. Until now! Excelle has tracked down five real cover letters that helped job seekers land an interview. Sometimes, they even ...

6 Ways to Maintain Your Sanity While Looking for Work They say looking for a job is a full-time job in itself, but that’s only partially true. Full-time jobs come with things like regular paychecks, benefits and a sense of pride and accomplishment. Compare that to the frustrating, tedious and mostly unrewarding task of finding a job, and it’s no wonder ...